Planning for Life After Work

Although surveys suggest that entrepreneurs, like most Americans, fail to save enough for their retirement needs (see "Retirement Realities (Ouch)," [Article link]), conversations with some owners of growing companies indicate that retirement planning is on their minds. However, planning isn't always easy, especially when you're running a fast-growing company with sometimes unpredictable capital requirements. Below, three entrepreneurs share their retirement plans:

Larry Laux, president of Metrix, a $3.3-million software producer in Milwaukee: "Four years ago we set up a 401(k) plan that gave me, as well as our employees, an incentive to start saving. We match 15% of each employee's contribution; we can also make an extra, discretionary contribution to all employees during any year in which we're especially profitable."

Mark Moerdler, executive vice-president and co-owner of MDY Advanced Technologies, a $4-million computer consulting firm in Fairlawn, N.J.: "My wife [president Galina Dats-kovsky] and I both have IRAs. In the long term, we look to the company as our retirement fund." (As of last November, Moerdler was expecting to have a 401(k) plan in place at MDY by the end of 1993.)

Arthur Warren IV, president of Benefits Advisors of New England, a $1-million-plus employee-benefits consulting firm in Franklin, Mass.: "I started saving for retirement when I was 30, purchasing investment rental properties with the idea of accumulating long-term capital gains and tax benefits. Then, when I started this company, I made retirement planning part of my business plan. We set up a 401(k) plan when the company began, and all 11 of my employees belong to it. Obviously, the value of my business is the biggest part of my future income. But people who rely 100% on any type of investment -- whether it's their own company or anything else -- are taking a big chance, because of a dangerous lack of diversification."